Send home staff who have flu, bosses warned

Bosses have been urged to send home employees displaying symptoms of flu in a bid to prevent a nationwide epidemic.

Health experts have predicted that up to 50,000 people across the UK could die in a flu outbreak.

Guidances from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) states: “Advise your staff to stay at home if they are sick. It would be a wise precaution to send home, at the earliest opportunity, any employees who are displaying flu-like symptoms.”

The HSE suggests businesses should promote working from home: “If you have employees who can safely work from home, then this should be identified and encouraged.”

It recommends holding video-conferences or tele-conferences as an alternative to face-to-face meetings.

Businesses have also been told that protecting staff should be on their list of New Year Resolutions by CBI director-general Digby Jones.

The government has ordered 14.6 million doses of the anti-viral Tamiflu, although less than 20% of that has arrived in the UK so far.